[Broadhaven]

Hi

I have read in gardening books where you have to wait for the foilage to die back before lifting dahlias.

My foilage hasn't died back yet, but we have had a second morning of frost today. Should I still wait or should I be lifting them.

What do I do with them after that.
Thanks

Polly

[Yorkie]

The usual advice is to wait until the foliage has blackened, but have a look at Yabba's post here - Yabba's an expert in dahlias!

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=23263.0

[DavidT]

I lifted about 40 dahlias for a client last saturday, They`d not been frosted but they had to be raised. Lift them gently, cut the foliage down to about 4inches. Wash all the soil off, and put somewhere were they can dry off. When dry, treat with sulphur dust and store somewhere frost free in trays.

[wighty]

Is this going to be the same for Begonias, as ours are still flowering and we have yet to have a frost.  Ought we to be getting them in now, just in case?

[DavidT]

Wighty, enjoy them for as long as possible, I had to lift the Dahlias to plant spring bulbs.

[wighty]

Spoke too soon, had a tiddly widdly frost here this morning, brushed it off the windscreen with  my hand. Will go out at the weekend and get the begonias in whether they've finished or not. As we've lost Woolies, tried spring bulbs in the shop as a new venture! Not going to do it again as we are left with loads.